San Francisco Giants’ draft strategy hints that changes are coming under Farhan Zaidi

NEW YORK — At the end of Hunter Bishop’s sophomore season at Arizona State, the athletic department made a decision that may have altered the trajectory of Bishop’s college career and helped the outfielder surge up draft boards.

The Sun Devils moved in the outfield fences at their home ballpark, Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

After selecting Bishop with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the San Francisco Giants may soon do the same at Oracle Park.

Under first-year president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and new scouting director Michael Holmes, the Giants chose Bishop, a left-handed hitting slugger, with their first round selection. In the second round, they chose another left-handed hitter, Logan Wyatt, out of Louisville.

Holmes insists both of the team’s top picks have the ability to hit the ball to all fields, but it’s no secret the Giants are seriously considering adjusting the dimensions of their home park.

“Despite them being both left-handed hitters, we don’t feel like they’re guys that only hit balls to one side of the field,” Holmes said on Monday. “Part of the intrigue of both hitters is the ability to use the entire field and drive the ball to all fields.”

Bishop may have an excellent opposite field approach, but his numbers at ASU reveal how much he benefitted from playing in a park with fair dimensions this year. After slugging a combined two home runs at Phoenix Muni in his first two collegiate seasons, Bishop hit 17 of his 22 homers at home this year.

Bishop credits maturity and swing adjustments for his improved production, but it certainly helped that the fences moved in 10-to-15 feet in all areas of the outfield.

“It just clicked for me in terms of having better plate discipline and driving the ball hard more often,” Bishop said of his drastic improvement.

The Giants may have been more reluctant to use a first-round selection on a left-handed hitting outfielder in the past, but under Zaidi, the franchise has promised to evaluate changes to a stadium that has historically suppressed offense.

The presence of a 421-foot power alley in right center field and a 25-foot wall in right were already talking points before the Giants added Bishop and Wyatt, but the franchise could be more motivated than ever to change the way the stadium plays.

Holmes didn’t hint the selections of Bishop and Wyatt were made with the understanding that Oracle Park’s dimensions will ultimately change, but the Giants were not fearful of the repercussions of adding players who may not be ideally suited to play at the park in its current state.

“We’re trying to find as much talent as we can to put in our organization and let things play out the way they do,” Holmes said. “Having too many bats, having too many good players at the same position is never really an issue.”

Bishop said on a conference call on Monday that he grew up attending Giants games with his family and watching Barry Bonds hit the ball into McCovey Cove. He said he and his brother, Braden, an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, played wiffle ball in their backyard and envisioned hitting home runs for the Giants one day.

If Bishop continues his development in the Giants’ farm system, he could be part of a growing future core that includes fellow first round selections Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos on track to make significant contributions around 2021.

“It’s just a dream come true, I’m so grateful to be a Giant and I couldn’t be happier,” Bishop said.

Bishop has spent the better part of his life dreaming of playing at Oracle Park. By the time he arrives, the outfield he’ll play in might look quite different.